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About this site

Mainly a place to collect short stories I’ve written. Also somewhere for the ideas I’ve had on work and careers: on the general futility of careers working for other people, and finding the work you really want to do. For an brief idea, start here: 10 Pieces of Careers Advice to My Younger Self. Also on here: a free download of my non-fiction ebook on the subject, The Tyranny of Careers.

Also a collection of various ideas about writing. I was trying to find somewhere to keep these notes that was useful to me and then thought that they might just as well be somewhere public.

There’s also podcasts , the most recent recorded with writer Talia Ripley: Breaking Bad Rehab about the greatest TV of all time that is Breaking Bad; The Over Analysis about the weird and wonderful Netflix series The OA; and Better Overhaul Saul, on season 3 of Better Call Saul (yes just doing season 3 isn’t very helpful… we kind of lost interest a bit in season 4).

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I have just finished watching The OA and your podcast is helping me to digest that particularly strange meal. Not an unpleasant meal…..but still, strange. Like having the ice-cream before the soup. Anyhow I did wonder if you had watched Better Call Saul. As Breaking Bad devotees it seems a logical progresson. I recently watched both seasons and it is superb. Would love to hear any thoughts.

Good day E&T,
This is a bit late however I just wanted to tell you that
As 30some American. I found both your podcast delightful and really loved your insight into theOA as I’ve become a recent obsessee over the program just so you know there is a second series planned and a great many of us
Discuss theory and sillyness in all seriousness on reddit/r/theOA
Im glad you found show quite entertaining but just hearing you guys question some strange American TV tropes like doping small children for having vivid dreams and paying another person insurance cost made us want to jump over pond a join you guys. Anyway I hope all is well and wanted to ask if you guys had rethought anything about last episode in light of hint that Brit said the books were not in braile and perhaps someone placed them there …I don’t know but maybe she means FBI agent who some think might be another angel
Stay great and let us know if you decide to do another pod
Stranger things or perhaps Westworld
-theW&M

@WILLIAM M SMALLS
Hi William, thanks for your message! I’m certain that there are also many strange UK tropes that might make you want to jump right back over the pond again…

It’s interesting your talking about the plot hint about the books not being in braile – Talia and I were talking about your message and she reminded me that she had brought up that point in our final podcast, only for me to ignore it and still push for the interpretation that it was all in Prairie’s head. But thinking more on the meaning of the books (not to mention what the hell the FBI guy was doing in the house) I’m coming round to a more ambiguous interpretation of what the hell was going on. Maybe to the point that we do have enough of interest to make a further podcast about the different interpretations…

Do you have a link for that particular interview with Brit Marling talking about the books not being in braile?

regards

Ethan

P.S. we are starting a new podcast in April, on the 3rd season of Better Call Saul… sign up on our mailing list if you want to be emailed when it starts

Dear E & T
The reason it’s fun to listen to your podcasts from the beginning even though I’ve watched something, is because it’s like re-watching something with a friend who hasn’t seen it yet. You get some of the thrill a second time around.

@Lil
Hi Lil, thanks for your message – I’d never really thought about getting a vicarious thrill through listening to someone else watch a series for the first time… I think it’s going to send me off listening to podcasts of my own most watched shows!